This Walking Dead Star Is Heading To The Criminal Minds Spinoff

It usually takes the death of a Walking Dead character for the actor to find a new gig, but Tyler James Williams is as much a survivor as he is a mover and a shaker. The actor is complementing his work on one ratings juggernaut with a role on what will presumably be another audience-attracting hit, as Williams has signed on for a regular role in CBS’ upcoming Criminal Minds spinoff. I need his agent, and also acting skills.

Williams will play a tech analyst named Monty in the as-yet-untitled spinoff, which is set to premiere as an episode of Criminal Minds proper. According to EW, here’s what the “sweet and incredibly smart” Monty will be like.

As the team’s tech analyst, Monty stays at home while the team works abroad. His attention to detail and kind manner are invaluable as he liaises with the families of those in trouble and uses his tech savvy to help the team fill in the holes as they search for a killer far from home.”

As previously mentioned, the Criminal Minds spinoff will be fronted by the always great Gary Sinese, and will center on an FBI team whose main goal is taking care of American citizens that are in trouble in foreign countries. I’m guessing we’re going to see a lot of Williams and Sinese talking to each other via phone or Skype, with jokes about how the weather is wherever the team is headed. I can write this stuff, although the pilot was actually written by Criminal Minds showrunner Erica Messer.

Williams has certainly come a long way since breaking out in the comedy Everybody Hates Chris, which starred Terry Crews as his father. Remember that killer combo?

He followed that with a stint on the short-lived Matthew Perry-led comedy Go On. Following a guest spot on Key and Peele as Jaleel “Steve Urkel” White, he joined The Walking Dead as the unhappy hospital aide Noah, who was more or less trapped by the sadistic cop Dawn. I won’t spoil anything that happened in the midseason finale, but it’ll be nice to see Williams back among the walkers when the AMC series returns to finish off Season 5 next month.

The Criminal Minds pilot will presumably enter the TV consciousness as part of the hit procedural’s current season, so that the creative team will have time to put together an entire season to premiere in the fall. Assuming it gets picked up to series, that is.